Listen to the story of Dr Magnus Hirschfeld, who over a century ago challenged old ideas about gender and sexuality, set up a clinic for gender surgery, and worked for queer rights, even when it brought him into conflict with the Nazis.
You’ll hear about how wars leave behind toxic chemicals and damage that can harm people’s health long after fighting ends, urging more research and action.
The talk looks at how the idea of being Chinese is shaped by different governments in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and what this means for identity today.
Jade Lindo looks at how breadfruit became part of Caribbean meals, highlighting the ways Black enslaved women shaped food traditions and resisted colonial rules.
Ekta Kaul explains how embroidered maps have been used to teach, persuade and question power, while showing how she uses stitch to map memory and belonging.
Professor Abubakar Sani Sule talks about Nigerian and British museum collections, looking at northern Nigeria’s history of trade and medieval kingdoms.
Christopher Frayling looks at how Hollywood has shown famous painters, from Rembrandt to Frida Kahlo, and what these films reveal about art in popular culture.
Experts talk about John Thorpe’s ‘Book of Architecture’ and rare drawings by Robert and John Smythson, sharing how they reflect work in early modern England.
A lively talk covers DNA tests that can wrongly accuse people, how AI might help or harm, odd habits like tongue poking when thinking, why ducks can be traffic offenders, why you can’t tickle yourself, and how much energy children’s brains use compared to adults.
Okazaki shares how growing up in Hiroshima shaped his flowing, symmetrical clothes that blend art and peace, with a Q&A and his ‘JOMONJOMON’ series shown.
Baljit Thatti reveals how chemistry gives clues from things like fingerprints, fibres and lipstick using methods like chromatography to help solve crimes.
Speakers will talk about whether the rules used to judge war crimes help prevent future wars, using examples from recent conflicts like Ukraine and Gaza.
Professor Clare Burrage explains how her research tackles the mystery of dark matter and dark energy and shares her project inspiring girls in physics.
Award-winning garden designer Sarah Price shares how her painterly planting style and Benton End’s artistic past shape her creative approach to gardens.
Dr Freya Gowrley explains how Jacqueline Bishop uses collage to mix different images and show what you can’t usually see, helping to tell powerful stories.
Professor James Clark and Emma Slocombe share how church textiles moved, were kept, or reused after Tudor reforms and why later historians valued them.
Lynda Nead discusses how post-war ideas about class and desire shaped images of women by looking at Diana Dors, Ruth Ellis, Barbara Windsor and Pauline Boty.
Jeroen van den Hoven explains how sticking to moral values when making new technology, like AI, can actually lead to better solutions for big world problems.
Hear about recent studies on a distant planet called K2-18 b, where signs of carbon-based molecules hint that it might have an ocean and could support life.
Around 50 pieces by Picasso, from paintings to sculptures and collages, are shown with The Three Dancers at the centre, marking 100 years since its creation.
Bethan Laura Wood joins Rio Kobayashi, Ron Arad and Johanna Agerman Ross in a conversation chaired by Libby Sellers, with guests seated on bold patterned carpets.
An evening talk shares the story of Little Sparta, Ian Hamilton Finlay’s radical garden, told through images, ideas, and memories from those who knew it.
Curator Dr Xiaoxin Li shares the story of a four-year project on Chinese studio crafts, from travels to artists’ studios to unseen stories of their work.
Rebecca Bailey talks about how over 120 researchers used new digital tools and AI to link museum and archive collections across the UK, sharing what they learned.
The talk looks at Britain’s hidden role in helping the Sultan of Oman during the Dhofar Insurgency, showing how officers, support and strategy shaped the fight.
Stephen Jones chats with Charles Jeffrey about his bold hat designs, past work with icons like Princess Diana and Boy George, and his many famous clients today.
The speaker will look at whether having limits on personal wealth can fit with capitalism, explaining that it depends on the type of capitalism involved.
The talk looks at how Marie-Antoinette’s portraits were used to shape her image in France, from early Austrian works to the 1783 painting that caused outrage.
Author Peter Gallivan talks about big mysteries like how the universe might end, why we dream and odd things like why there are so many beetles. He shares how scientists work, using his new book as a guide, with help from demos that make tricky ideas easier to understand.
Andrew Rhodes will talk about Alexander Macomb Mason, whose journeys in the 19th century took him from battles and mapping in Africa to global politics.
This event looks at how plants form shapes like spirals and repeated patterns in their leaves and roots, showing how simple maths explains these clever designs.
Authors Nigel Dunnett and James Hitchmough chat about how naturalistic planting changed city design, with Arit Anderson and Dr Helen Hoyle adding insight.
Michael Rayner explains how new research is changing what we know about English battlefields, from Bosworth to Winwick, and why they still matter today.
Physicist Rachel Edwards shares how engineers use sound to spot hidden problems in things like rollercoasters, and how new technology could let us see sound moving through structures.
The talk looks at practical ways to plan ahead for later life, covering wills, powers of attorney, staying independent and involving family in choices.
Professor Iryna Gurevych explains how false claims spread online, showing how modern AI can help reveal tricks behind misleading posts, images and charts.
Madelon Vriesendorp talks about how artists and architects share ideas and imagination, showing how play and creativity shape the way buildings are made.
Mahmoud Khattab and Linda Bournane Engelberth will talk about their award recognised books, with Charlotte Flint, before joining a panel chat together.
Vlatko Vedral talks about clever ideas that challenge our ideas of space, time and gravity by looking at how quantum physics and general relativity link up.
Speakers from planning, design, and healthcare will share how better city design and local decision-making can help improve everyday health for Londoners.
Wafa Ghnaim and Rachel Dedman chat about the story and meaning of Palestinian embroidery, linking family memories with dress history and its place today.
This talk looks at how Hecate grew from a local goddess into a powerful figure tied to magic, the moon, and even helping people connect with the divine.
Rory Butcher explains how the Fencible Regiments, raised for home defence during the Wars of the French Revolution, shaped Britain’s military at a time of crisis.
You’ll hear stories about John Blanke, a Black musician at the Tudor court, and see how his talent shaped both how people saw him and his place in history.
Valérie Sadoun shares her journey in photographing iconic buildings and Wes Anderson’s film sets, highlighting the craft that shapes his striking worlds.
